


Burn It All

by Louffox



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst, Demons, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Magnus is a badass, Protective Magnus Bane, alec gets hurt, bamf Magnus, whump Alec, why does everyone seem to forget that Magnus is incredibly powerful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 17:03:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11696040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louffox/pseuds/Louffox
Summary: Magnus is the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Because he's clever? Because he's old? Maybe he kissed up to the right person, or maybe he was just a good pawn. Maybe nobody else wanted the job.Or maybe he's a motherfucking powerhouse. Woe to any who hurt his beau.





	Burn It All

**Author's Note:**

> I started watching Shadowhunters on TV and I'm like 8 episodes into season 2, so spare me the spoilers- though tumblr has pretty much given it all away already. I've fallen in love with Malec so fast it's sickening. I just... it's adorable. It's against all odds. It's fabulous and relatable and heartfelt and painful. I love it.
> 
> I also read the books- but I haven't read them in years. I'm not sure what I might give away from the books that's not in the show, or vice versa, so I apologize for that. Some might be canon, some might not. I don't think there's any huge spoilers? If there are, I apologize! 
> 
> I just really feel compelled to write about these two. And this was one thing I feel both the books and the show neglects. Magnus spends a great amount of the TV show healing people, but in the books, he's not a good healer at all. His magic is meant to destroy, not to repair.

Magnus Bane liked dark nail polish and hair dye and glitter and eyeliner. It was just part of his identity- he dressed however made him happy and fit his mood. He was centuries old, and caring about what people thought of his dress had gotten boring in the first few decades.

 

Rings and bangles and sparkles. Lace high collars, low translucent silk. Chains and tight pants.

 

For some reason, this all made people think he was weak. Maybe he was High Warlock of Brooklyn because he was clever. Or got in the right person’s pants. Or sabotaged his rivals. Maybe he was old or had blackmail or was a pawn.

 

Nobody seemed to even consider the most obvious, and the most true: he was a motherfucking powerhouse.

 

Most people didn't realize. He believed overkill was underrated, but in everything except magic. When he flexed his power, he was more apt to work smart, not hard. He was fine with people not knowing the full extent of his strength. In battles, he often hung back, allowing others to fight and decide the battle. He felt that, as an immortal without anything meaningful to him on the line, he had no right to decide a battle. 

 

Other warlocks had some idea that he was unique. They never went head to head with him, sensing that he had… something. And his warlock’s mark was never seen on others of their kind. Gills, webbed hands, hooves, horns, tails- these were what were expected for warlock marks. Blue or green skin, rarely. But he was the only yellow eyed warlock. They weren't an indicator of power or age or skill, but there was still something about those slitted eyes that were uncanny.

 

Magnus never bothered to correct people, when they made assumptions about his magic. He liked the mystery, and it often gave him an upper hand.

 

Maybe he exaggerated it sometimes. Like when he was healing Luke. Alexander Gideon Lightwood unflinchingly offering to share himself was well worth leaving the impression of weakness. The swoon wasn't completely faked. Maybe he wasn't swooning with weakness, but over seeing his tall, dark, and handsome hero rushing in to the rescue. Nobody had to know.

 

He fell in love with Alexander like a plane crash. Weightless, powerless, burning, inevitable. It was spectacular.

 

\---

 

“We… okay, so, I know it's date night. And I'm … I can't be there.”

 

Magnus frowned at his phone. He wasn't surprised, with the way current events had been going. Since the mortal cup had vanished, demons had been a rushing tide into the city. There was nothing for them to fear. And new shadowhunters, the dregs of what Valentine had started, were more active than ever, since rumors of an execution had started. New York was essentially a bag of cats.

 

“But, I… and I'm not trying to use you, I'm not totally just asking as a favor, but… we need a good tracker. We got a claw from a demon, tore off in the ribs of the last victim, and we think they're swarming. So if we can track one, we might find the lot. And- we could use a werewolf, but I figured, just because I'm stuck working… I won't miss out on time with you.”

 

Magnus’s face lit up.  (Not literally.) 

 

“I will absolutely sacrifice my relaxing evening of pouting and drinking to grub about dark alleys with you, Alexander. Of course. Shall I meet you at the institute?”

 

“Yeah, that'd be great.”

 

“Splendid. I'll be there in fi- in ten.” He would need to his outfit. Date night clothes weren't well suited for keeping up with Shadowhunters. And the lack of underwear, which was absolutely a requirement for date night, would probably be bad for jogging about with Alexander, his parabatai, his sister, and the carrot headed one. And maybe he'd change out his necklaces-

 

“Great! We’ll meet you out front.”

 

When Magnus arrived, portaling in precisely ten minutes later, Alexander was pacing on the step, and the others were checking each other’s weapons. Magnus stepped from his loft to the ground, right into Alec’s path, and caught him up in a searing kiss.

 

When he drew back, Alec was blushing bright and looked dazed.

 

“This still counts as date night, darling. I hope your friends don't mind the usual date night level of affection,” Magnus said brightly.

 

“I- they- nope, everyone is fine with it,” Alex said, gaze resting heavily on Magnus’s mouth. He took pity on the blushing Shadowhunter and gave him a firm peck, before linking his arm around his elbow.

 

“So? Where's this claw?”

 

\--

 

“Magnus, we're gonna bring you on every mission now. Screw the jumping across rooftops, traveling by portal is the best,” Isabelle declared as they stepped through and to the other end of the city. 

 

“I'd take the rooftop jumping over the PDA,” Jace grumbled. Alec, though not usually the confident one, had been fighting with Jace his whole life. He fought dirty. He made eye contact with his parabatai and gave Magnus’s ass a light swat as he passed. Izzy cackled and Magnus waggled his eyebrows.

 

“To be fair, normally by now, I'd be two glasses deep in a bottle of old vine malbec,” Magnus said.

 

“You sure you wouldn't be two fingers deep in-”

 

“ _ Izzy!” _ both Alec and Jace cried. Alec looked mortified, Jace looked ill, Clary was snorting with laughter, and Izzy was making finger guns at Magnus. He laughed, returning the gesture, feeling warm inside despite the cool night air. He felt included and loved and like… a part of a group. He had felt like an outsider for so long, timeless and distant and never one of the gang, not among mortals or warlocks. And this strange group had simply taken him in- 

 

The building in front of them exploded.

 

The shadowhunter’s weapons appeared in their hands, but for all the speed and magic of it, they still barely were able to meet the charge. Demons, of all shapes and forms, swarmed out of the building. 

 

They fought together well. Izzy didn’t bother with her whip and went immediately for her polestaff, excellent for defense and for taking on multiple enemies at once. She planted herself at the edge of the fight and held her ground ferociously. Clary darted in to attack with her shortsword, then retreated before she could be surrounded. Jace simply allowed himself to be swallowed by the tide, a whirling maelstrom, both swords flashing to cut down enemies to all sides. Alec ignored his bow for the close combat, instead holding a two short axes, alternating between bailing Clary out and keeping Jace from being totally overwhelmed. They all shouted to each other, constantly communicating and keeping eyes on each other.

 

Magnus backed up onto a dumpster, finding the high ground and grimly firing blast after blast of magic into the hoard.

 

It wasn’t like fighting a demon, or a pair or trio of demons. It was like fighting an ocean, a fluid wall of bloodthirst. They all were gradually pushed back, but they were managing to slowly thin the crowd. It would be a test of stamina. Clary had added something to her own stamina rune, something that seemed to translate to a multiplier, and Jace’s stamina rune was glowing bright gold. Clary worked her way in to fight back to back with Izzy, and the parabatai brothers fell into their usual roles of Jace berserking and Alec guarding.

 

But then, the scene played out as it always seemed to, with this generation of shadowhunters.

 

They were amazing, united. They worked as a team and took care of each other like a family, working less like four individuals and more like a single machine, taking turns helping each other and pairing up. As a group, it was easy to believe they could do anything.

 

But a chain tends to collapse if only a single link breaks.

 

Isabelle took a deep slash to the outside of her knee, and cried out.

 

Clary caught her shoulder and supported her weight, only able to fight the demons off with one hand now, and shouted for help.

 

Jace abruptly changed directions and began hacking his way toward her.

 

Alec noticed the winged demon coming down on the trio, ready to carve them up, above and unnoticed, and switched to his bow.

 

A four legged demon jumped on him like a hyena, sinking teeth into his shoulder, and dragging him to the ground.

 

_ No. _

 

Magnus loved Alexander, and through him, the other shadowhunters. Clary, Jace, and Isabelle were about to be taken under.

 

And Alec had already disappeared under the tide.

 

Magnus’s magic reacted to the rush of absolute dislike of the scene unfolding. He rejected this reality and his magic flexed fully, the power a geyser fully opened, and the world bent to his will.

 

The demons on the ground died. They simply collapsed. Magnus wanted them to no longer be, so they dropped to the ground. He could feel his magic reach into a different plane and simply snuff the life, not bothering with a physical attack. He smothered them all.

 

The demons in the air lit up and disintegrated as the sky lit up bright as daytime. But there was no sun. There was just Magnus. 

 

The world rumbled and burned around him, and Magnus barely even noticed. He was no longer standing on a dumpster. He was at Alexander’s side, pressing his hands right into the tide of blood, plunging his fingers into the torn muscle and flesh.

 

His power whirled around him, and Alec continued to bleed.

 

Jace, Clary, and Isabelle were suddenly there, standing on the other side of Alec. Magnus knew he needed them there, so his magic granted his desire.

 

“Help me heal him,” he said, choking, power tangling through his voice and breath.

 

Jace put his hand over Magnus’s, and Isabelle pressed on the wounds that Magnus didn’t have enough hands for. He grabbed greedily at Jace’s strength, who relented without a moment’s hesitation. Magnus’s power was sourced directly from hell and existed to destroy, not to heal. But Jace had angel blood, and he drew on that, acting as the conduit to channel Jace’s healing grace into Alec. Clary was etching a rune over their joined hands, and Isabelle was holding them all up, because Jace was collapsing and Clary was fighting to stay where she was, as Magnus’s power ravaged the world around them, panicked and angry.

 

The wounds began to close, and Alexander breathed.

 

Magnus sat back on his heels and wrapped his arms around himself. Now that the fount of power had been opened, he struggled to reseal it. He could feel it reaching further, licking up his insides, offering him everything he ever wanted, an obedient and giving thing that would destroy the world, if only Magnus willed it.

 

He willed it to stop.

 

It didn’t.

 

He felt his friends begin to choke around him as the very sky seemed to bear down on them, ears popping as he struggled to pull the magic back. The pressure increased- Izzy was screaming, Jace was shaking him, Clary’s nose was bleeding and she was still drawing on Alec-

 

“Magnus. It’s okay.”

 

Alexander had sat up, and was cupping Magnus’s face, looking into his eyes. Magnus looked back, and he saw love, comfort, kindness, love, gratitude, peace, love, hope, love, love,  _ love- _

 

He capped his magic with a sigh, and the world settled around them. He fell into Alec’s arms, crying softly.

 

The others left, at some point, pleading off reports and fatigue. They sensed they weren’t needed, and what was needed was some calm and quiet. Alexander hadn’t let go of Magnus, though his crying had stopped and he was simply curled up in his shadowhunter’s arms. Magnus relaxed slowly, feeling numb. Somewhere between blinks, they had arrived at his loft. He glanced around, a little confused, mostly still numb.

 

“I carried you home,” Alec said by way of explanation. “I think you passed out.” He sat down on the couch, still holding Magnus “Are- are you okay?”

 

Magnus snorted. “Are  _ you _ okay? You nearly died.”

 

“I’m fine, I know a really powerful warlock who just wouldn't let that happen,” Alec said, cracking a smile. His face dropped again. “What can I do?”

 

“Just… I just need you to hold me for a little while,” Magnus whispered. His body had started to ache, a sort of magical aftershock. He’d really opened up wide back there, fully unleashing his power. He hadn’t done that since… since- for a very long time.

 

“Okay. Do you want to lie down?” Magnus nodded. His throat had started to hurt, and his muscles had small tremors going through them.

 

Alec carefully lowered them so Magnus was tucked between himself and the back of the couch. The warlock felt a rush of gratitude- Alec knew he often had claustrophilia after something traumatic happened. Half pinned by Alec and tucked away from the world, he started to finally feel safe and at ease.

 

He wanted a glass of water, but didn’t want Alec to leave, nor did he want to use his magic. He would likely be operating like a mundane for the next day or two while he let himself heal, both physically and mentally.

 

“I… I’m sorry I lost control there.”

 

Alec reached up to stroke his hair back from his face gently, soothingly. “No, don’t apologize. I would be dead, and so would everyone else, probably. It was… well, it was completely incredible. I’ve never seen anything like that.” His voice was soft with awe. Magnus’s mouth twitched.

 

“Can you text Isabelle and the others, and ask them not to say exactly what happened? They can say… or just be vague. I don’t know. But- the clave can’t know the full extent of what I can do,” he said, suddenly realizing. Alec already pulled his phone out and typed on it. He waited for a moment, and a reply arrived. He nodded at it and reached up to drop it on the end table.

 

“There. They can figure out something to say- we’re always covering for each other’s crap, especially Izzy. They’ll think of something.”

 

“If the clave knew… they would never leave me alone. Everything would escalate very fast, and I would be a weapon. I don’t- I can’t… that can never happen.”

 

“I’m just… how do they not already know? Have you never done anything like that before?”

 

“I have,” Magnus said slowly. “People tend not to… there’s not usually anyone left to bear witness.”

 

“Oh,” Alec said, blinking.

 

“Yeah. You guys- this is the first time I’ve done this with defense in mind. I wasn’t fighting to win, I was fighting to save you, so you and your friends were shielded from it. I think. Like I said, I’ve never had anyone else make it out.”

 

For some reason, that made Alec’s face light up. He looked delighted, and gave Magnus a squeeze. “You really love me a lot,” he said. It wasn’t a selfish proclamation, nor was it surprised. It was joyous.

 

“Of course. Alexander, I love you a  _ lot _ ,” Magnus said seriously. “I… I usually wield my magic the way most warlocks do. Spells, incantations, calling upon it with potions and carefully defined rules. Most warlocks use gestures, incantations, potions, and pentagrams to help pull forth their power. I use it to limit mine. I’m not summoning power, I’m giving it rules. My magic is… well, my demon blood isn’t just demon blood, it’s royal demon blood. Fallen angel blood. Warlocks are half demon and half human. I don’t have distinctive halves. I am not half this and half that- I am both human and demon. Fully and at once. I can wield it, but… it also can wield me. If I reach for it fully, like earlier, I defy the normal rules of magic. I am magic, and the magic is me. Whatsoever I will, it is. Just like that. I wanted your enemies dead, I wanted your friends enemies burned, I wanted your friends to help me heal you, I wanted the world to end because you weren’t in it.” He let out a shaky breath and an equally faint laugh. “In retrospect, that was a really bad idea. Fully uncapping my magic while angry and sort of grieving. Giving myself over to it with only the command to  _ fix it _ .”

 

Alec kissed the corner of his jaw. “So, I know I should be more worried and upset that you killed a few hundred demons in an instant and absolutely destroyed a block and a half of the city, and almost lost yourself to your magic, but… Mags, you’re awesome. That’s probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” he said with a disbelieving giggle. He looked abashed, but giddy, smile wide, eyes wide, baring his joy and love fully, something he struggled to do.

 

Magnus lazily returned the kiss. “I’m glad you’re okay. New York should be glad- hell, the whole eastern seaboard should be glad you’re okay.”

 

“Honestly… it’s kind of… hot. You would destroy half the world for me. I mean, as a shadowhunter who’s sworn to protect life, it’s awful. But I can’t help but like it a little.”

 

Magnus beamed. “Anything for you, lover.”

 

Alec kissed him again, and they fell into a long silence, then both drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I should mention, I wrote this mostly on a phone and finished it up on my work computer, because my personal laptop is a POS from all the engineering programs bogging it down. So apologies for any technical problems.
> 
> Critique? Comments? Let me know! This one is going to be one part, but I'm working on a few other things that might be more than that. So stick around, folks.
> 
> Say hi on tumblr! My pseud is thefauxfox


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